Linklaters is leading the way in nominations for the top practice awards as the shortlist for the 2013 British Legal Awards has been unveiled.

The magic circle has nominations for the M&A, banking, financing or restructuring, and commercial team of the year categories. However, it missed out on the law firm of the year shortlist.

The top prize this year will be contested by Ashurst, Bird & Bird, DWF, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and RPC.

Bird & Bird also secured nominations for TMT team of the year and diversity initiative of the year.

Ashurst and Freshfields will also go up against Linklaters for the M&A award, along with Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, Shearman & Sterling, Skadden Arps Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Slaughter and May.

Burges Salmon made it on to the shortlist for the banking and property prizes, the second of which was in a joint submission with the Transport for London legal property team, while Pinsent Masons has been nominated for the commercial and TMT team awards.

Anglo American's Ben Keisler and Chris Vaughan from Balfour Beatty are among the five nominated candidates for general counsel of the year.

The legal department of the year prize will be fought out between eight nominees, including Barclays Legal, Bupa and Lloyds Banking Group.

The nominees for regional firm of the year include Keoghs, Shoosmiths and Weightmans, while Garrigues, Gomez-Acebo & Pombo and Pepeliaev are among the six shortlisted names up for European firm of the year.

The City of London Lifetime Achievement Award and the Managing/Senior Partner of the Year will both be announced on the night.

For table bookings, call Steve Hands on 020 7004 7460; email [email protected].

Full awards shortlists

Law Firm of the Year
Ashurst
Bird & Bird
DWF
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
RPC

General Counsel of the Year
Andrew Garard, ITV
Ben Keisler, Anglo American
Catherine Clarke, Business Growth Fund
Chris Vaughan, Balfour Beatty
David Haigh, GFH Capital
David Rushford, Haymarket Financial

Legal Department of the Year
Barclays Legal
BT Sport
Bupa
Dell
JTI
Lloyds Banking Group
National Car Parks
XL Group

Regional Law Firm of the Year
Brethertons
Brodies
Keoghs
Shakespeares
Shoosmiths
Stephens Scown
Weightmans

Chambers of the Year
11 Stone Buildings
Devereux Chambers
Essex Court Chambers
Fountain Court Chambers
Littleton Chambers
Serle Court
XXIV Old Buildings

In-house Innovation Award
NHS Litigation Authority
BlackRock
ITV
Plan International
Standard Life
Unilever
Which?

Law Firm Innovation Award
Addleshaw Goddard
Axiom
Clifford Chance
DAC Beachcroft
DLA Piper
Dundas & Wilson
Lawyers On Demand

CSR Initiative of the Year
Ashurst
Clifford Chance
Dechert
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Integreon
Reed Smith

Diversity Initiative of the Year
Olswang
Bird & Bird
Eversheds
Field Fisher Waterhouse
Morrison & Foerster
Norton Rose Fulbright

Education and Training Initiative of the Year
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Osborne Clarke
Roberts Jackson
Shoosmiths
Simmons & Simmons

M&A Team of the Year
Ashurst
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
Linklaters
Shearman & Sterling
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Slaughter and May

Banking, financing or Restructuring Team of the Year
Burges Salmon
Linklaters
Hogan Lovells
Macfarlanes
Nabarro
Weil Gotshal & Manges
White & Case

Litigation and Regulatory Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
CMS
Herbert Smith Freehills
Hogan Lovells
Lawrence Graham
Slaughter and May
Travers Smith

Property Team of the Year
Burges Salmon
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mayer Brown
Nabarro
Pinsent Masons
RPC
SJ Berwin

Commercial Team of the Year
Eversheds
Linklaters
Norton Rose Fullbright
Pinsent Masons
SJ Berwin
Taylor Wessing

TMT Team of the Year
Baker & McKenzie
Bird & Bird
DLA Piper
Mills & Reeve
Pinsent Masons
Simmons & Simmons
Wragge & Co

Private Client Team of the Year
Bircham Dyson Bell
Charles Russell
Stephens Scown
Taylor Wessing
Withers

Assistant/associate solicitor
Camille Astier, Hogan Lovells
Emilie Jones, Covington & Burling
Jiten Tank, Paul Hastings
John Tippett Cooper, Capsticks
Robert Haak, Ropes & Gray
Tracey Lochhead, Linklaters

Legal Counsel of the Year
Conor O'Flaherty, Microsoft
Greg Morris, SThree
Jeremy Cross, Anesco
Jeremy Evans, Liberty Global
Rebecca Clark, UK Asset Resolution

Best Use of Technology
Napthens
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
SThree
Taylor Vinters
Weightmans
Wragge & Co

Supplier of the Year
BigHand
Canon
Huron Legal
LexisNexis
Opus 2
Rekoop

International Awards
European Law Firm Of The Year
Asters
Garrigues
Gomez-Acebo & Pombo
Magnusson
Miranda Correia Amendoeira
Pepeliaev Group

European Legal Team
Alber & Geiger
Bech-Bruun
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Latham & Watkins
Paul Hastings
Shearman & Sterling

London Office of the Year
Debevoise & Plimpton
Edwards Wildman Palmer
Greenberg Traurig Maher
King & Spalding
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Ropes & Gray
Weil Gotshal & Manges

Offshore Law Firm of the Year
Appleby
Conyers
Maples and Calder
Mourant Ozannes
Ogier
Walkers